Western North Carolina holds great allure for Dave and Jean Walters. They met at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory and long dreamed of having a second home in the mountains. Dave says their search took 15 years and ended when they found Balsam Mountain Preserve near Sylva. Their lot offers a majestic mountain view and the surrounding land is protected by conservation easement, so they feel as if they’re living in a private forest.
Lot purchased in spring 2006, they designed the house with the help of New Energy Works of Farmington, N.Y. Construction began that fall and they received their certificate of occupancy in September 2009.
All along, their plan was to build a certified green residence. Their home ended up becoming one of the first in western North Carolina to achieve LEED for Homes Gold certification status from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. “There are many shades of residential green building. Our home is dark green,” he said.
What they built: The home has just under 6,000 square feet of conditioned space on three floors. The loft area houses two en-suite bedrooms with a connecting office that houses what the Walterses call “the North Carolina office of D & J Properties,” the consulting firm they’ve opened to specialize in green building projects. The master suite shares space on the main level with kitchen, great room, mudroom and utility room. The terrace level holds one more en-suite bedroom, a recreation room, exercise room, wine cellar, dry sauna and “doggie room,” and opens out to a terrace with a greenhouse and backyard putting green.
What makes their home “dark” green? Among the green features of the Walterses' home are solar thermal water, photovoltaic power generation, geothermal heating and air conditioning, permeable surfaces for patios and driveways, drought resistant plants and an underground cistern for storing rainwater for use in irrigation.
A place for family to gather: The Walterses' daughter Jessica now practices law in Asheville and Jean’s mother, Pearl Tompkins, lives nearby in Weaverville, N.C. Dave’s dad, Bob Walters, lives in Sarasota but spends as much time as possible during the summer months at Balsam where he joins his son on the community’s Arnold Palmer golf course.
A beautiful commute: The Walterses live in Lilburn and make the 145 mile drive in about 2 1/2-hours. Recently Dave and Jean sold their La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries operating company with its eight retail locations and are concentrating on their consulting business. They spend at least one week a month on the mountain and more time in the spring, summer and fall when the golf course is open and the trout are running.
At a glance
Community Information
Balsam Mountain Preserve is 45 minutes west of Asheville, N.C. The community has 354 home sites on 4,400 acres, with nearly 70 percent of the land placed in a permanent conservation easement. “Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Balsam Mountain Preserve sits right at the edge of the Nantahala National Forest and offers dramatic views, over 30 acres of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, 38 miles of streams and an on-site nature center with three full-time naturalists,” said Ken Costanzo, president of Balsam Mountain Preserve.
Other amenities on site include an Arnold Palmer signature golf course, soft surface tennis courts, horseback riding, a heated junior Olympic pool and private family camping. The community is five minutes from Sylva, where homeowners have easy access to grocery stores, banks, shopping and Harris Regional Hospital.
“Buyers may want to purchase one of our Featured Builder homes under construction or completed, or select a homestead for their custom designed home site,” said Bruce Fine, vice president of sales for Balsam. Home prices range from $995,000 to $2 million plus and homesteads are available starting at $250,000.
Another ownership option is the Boarding House Private Residence Club. “This program offers owners the flexibility of reserving two guaranteed weeks each season for a total of eight weeks annually, coupled with the added benefit of unlimited additional time on a space available basis,” Fine said.
Getting there
Take I-85 north to I-985 north until it turns into U.S. 441. Stay on 441 through Franklin and into Sylva. In Sylva, take U.S. 23/74 (Great Smoky Mountain Expressway) toward Waynesville. Preserve Road is on the right just past mile marker 89. The Welcome Center is on the left.
Information
www.balsammountainpreserve.com
www.townofsylva.org
www.noc.com
For sale
$1,895,000: 678 East Reach Road, Sylva,. Four bedroom, 4 1/2-bath home on 1.8 acres surrounded on three sides by conservation land and bordered by Cashie Creek. More than 1,700 feet of outdoor living space, more than 4,400 square feet inside, heart pine flooring in main living areas and master bedroom.
$1,195,000: 240 Down The Hill Road, Sylva. Three bedroom, 3 1/2-bath home with cedar shake roof and knotty white pine horizontal wall paneling. Gourmet kitchen, slate floors in family room and lower level baths, cherry wood flooring on main level. More than 2,300 square feet.
Recently sold
$1,614,000: 1345 Preserve Road, Sylva. Four bedroom, 4 1/2-bath 3,700-square-foot home on 1.87 acres. Cedar shake and Eastern white pine siding, wide plank hardwood floors, guest quarters above detached garage. Sold April 2010.
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